Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada on Saturday – CBC.ca

Most provinces and territories are advising people not to travel to cottages or hold gatherings on this holiday weekend during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cottage life is something people are longing for these days, for its spiritual and mental health benefits, Terry Rees, executive director of the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations, told CBC News earlier in the week.

He said travelling to the cottage is not illegal, but people visiting their vacation properties need to be mindful to the fact that people living in those communities have legitimate worries.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix has asked British Columbians to avoid travel around the province unless it’s absolutely necessary, and if they do hit the road, they should pack their own food and not visit stores in other communities.

Police checkpoints set up last month to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus are coming down on Monday in various parts of Quebec, including between Gatineau and Ottawa, which will allow Ontario residents to go to cottages in the Gatineau Hills.

WATCH | Dr. Theresa Tam urges caution over May long weekend:

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, emphasizes ‘going out smart’ if people are leaving their homes over the weekend. 1:51

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to start his Saturday with what has become his routine daily briefing on the pandemic outside Rideau Cottage, a 22-room heritage

home on the grounds of Rideau Hall, the governor general’s estate.

However, he’ll give no updates Sunday or Monday, when he’s expected to join his family at his official country residence at Harrington Lake, Que.

Trudeau’s travel between the two locations caused something of a furor when he posted an Easter weekend photo of him posing with his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and their three children at Harrington Lake.

But the way Trudeau sees it, he’s simply travelling between his work in Ottawa and his family’s home 30 minutes away, across the river in Quebec — just like many other Quebecers.

“Since I work at the residence in Ottawa and I do press conferences every day, it was not ideal for the children to stay there, so they went to the other official residence (at Harrington Lake),” he told popular Quebec television talk show Tout le monde en parle a couple of weeks ago.

“And I spend several nights a week with the family, then I go down to work in the city like many Quebecers who live in the Outaouais.”

He added: “I think people understand that I have to work in Ottawa even if I live a lot with my family in Quebec.”

At Saturday’s daily briefing, Trudeau is expected to focus on a one-time boost to the Canada Child Benefit, which goes into effect next week, to help families cope with the economic devastation wrought by the pandemic.

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The At Issue panel discusses the political and economic costs of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and the calls for more fiscal transparency. Plus in this extended edition, the panellists look at the concerns about fraudulent CERB claims. 15:20

Families that were entitled to the benefit in April and still have an eligible child in their care this month will get up to $300 extra per child as part of their regular monthly payment.

Trudeau is also expected to highlight various federal measures aimed at helping charities and women’s shelters weather the crisis.

Ahead of the long weekend, Alberta’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced the province is increasing the limit on outdoor gatherings. Up to 50 people can now gather, raised from the previous limit of 15. Still, Hinshaw warned, Albertans must continue to practise physical distancing.

WATCH | Summer camps face cancellations and uncertainty:

Many summer camps across the country have been cancelled over coronavirus concerns. 1:58

“In well-ventilated, open spaces, there can be less of a risk in those contexts as long as people are following the guidelines,” Hinshaw said at a Friday briefing

British Columbia Education Minister Rob Fleming announced Friday that some students in the province will be able to return to school starting June 1. The return will be voluntary, and comes as some other provinces have decided their students won’t return to classrooms for the rest of the school year. (Michael McArthur/CBC)

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are similarly allowing families to slightly relax their physical distancing measures over the holiday weekend thanks to recently implemented “double bubble” rules in which two households can agree to spend time together exclusively. Nova Scotia additionally announced public beaches will be opened, though physical distancing will need to be observed and groups can be no larger than five people.

Emergency wage subsidy extended until end of August

The federal government’s emergency wage-subsidy programwill be extended until the end of Augustto help employers keep their workers on the payroll during the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

The $73 billion wage-subsidy program, which covers 75 per cent of an eligible company’s payroll up to a maximum of $847 per week per employee, was originally set to expire next month.

WATCH | Some good news from around the world this week:

With much of the world struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still some good-news stories to report. Here’s a brief roundup. 3:03

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey data estimates that more than three million jobs have been lost during the COVID-19 crisis.

Heading into the weekend,Air Canada said it will lay off about 20,000 of its employees, more than half its total workforce, by June 7. The company says even with the now-extended federal wage subsidy program, it does not see the industry returning to normal in time to save those jobs.

Air Canada has been forced to ground some 225 airplanes and slash flight capacity by 95 per cent due to border shutdowns and a sharp drop in demand for travel.

As of early Saturday, Canada had 74,613 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with 36,908 of those considered recovered or resolved. A CBC News tally of COVID-19 deaths based on provincial health data, regional information and CBC’s reporting stood at 5,664.

While most cases of coronavirus are mild or moderate, some people — particularly the elderly or those with underlying health issues — are at higher risk of severe disease or death. There are no proven vaccines or treatments for the novel coronavirus, which causes an illness called COVID-19.

Here’s what’s happening in the provinces and territories:

On Friday, Newfoundland and Labrador marked its eighth straight day without new cases. “This is no small feat, and serves as a good reminder of what we can achieve by working together,” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said at Friday’s daily briefing.Read more about what’s happeneing in N.L.

Nova Scotia is entering thesecond phase of reopening, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Robert Strang announced Friday. The province is introducing an immediate-family bubble, which would let two households come together without physical distancing.

Friday also marks the opening of lobster season. But fishermen are setting their traps amid concerns that COVID-19 has depressed the market through decreased demand and reduced capacity of plants to process lobster where physical distancing on the line could cut into how much they can produce. On Thursday, the federal governmentpledged close to $470 million to support fish harvesters.

WATCH | Obesity could cause more severe COVID-19 illness:

Some studies show obesity could lead to more severe COVID-19 infections, but Canadian data is still lacking. 1:58

New Brunswick‘s chief medical officer of health has announced that another person has recovered from COVID-19 in the province. It has been nine days since the province has reported any new cases. But Dr. Jennifer Russell is reminding the public to protect themselves over the upcoming long weekend by keeping to their respective two-family-household bubbles and following physical distance guidelines.Read more about what’s happening in New Brunswick.

P.E.I.’s plan to launch Phase 3 of its ease-back plan will be expedited to an expected start of June 1 from June 12, said Premier Dennis King during an afternoon media briefing Friday.Read More about what’s happening in P.E.I.

The Quebec government is donating one million masks to the greater Montreal region and $6 million in funding for public transit in the region, Premier François Legault announced Friday. Meanwhile, four Canadian soldiers serving in Quebec long-term care homes have tested positive for COVID-19, as did one soldier assisting with long-term care homes in Ontario. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed news of the infections at his Friday morning media availability but did not provide details.

Looking for a soothing new hobby to help pass the time, many Canadians are taking up gardening. 1:55

No new cases were reported in Manitoba on Friday for the fourth day in a row. While the numbers remain low in the province, there is still a worry about re-importation of the virus, especially if people start travelling this long weekend, said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer.

A health-care worker prepares to swab a man at a walk-in COVID-19 testing clinic in Montreal North on May 10. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

First Nations residents of northern Saskatchewan say highway bans and checkpoints put in place to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19 between different areas of the province has created adouble standard and alienated them. Some residents say that although they’re supposed to be allowed to leave their communities for essentials such as shopping, that hasn’t happened — leaving them unable to access affordable groceries and supplies only available at larger stores in southern towns and cities.

Alberta is relaxing restrictions around outdoor gatherings, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced Friday. Outdoor gatherings can now consist of as many as 50 people, as long as members of different households stay two metres apart.

Two sisters visit their mother through the window at a seniors’ retirement residence in Mississauga, Ont., on Thursday. Provinces and territories are urging Canadians to stay vigilant against the spread of COVID-19 during the May long weekend to protect themselves and the most vulnerable. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

Anew COVID-19 outbreak has been detected at a British Columbia food facility, officials said Friday afternoon. The outbreak is at the Oppenheimer Group, a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Coquitlam. According to the statement, there are two cases connected to the facility. Read more about what’s happening in B.C.

Here’s a look at what’s happening around the world:

As of Friday night, there were more than 4.5 million confirmed cases of coronvirus around the world, according to a database tracking system maintained by the coronavirus resource centre at Johns Hopkins University. A quarter of those cases (more than 1.4 million) were in the United States.

According to the tracking system, COVID-19 has killed roughly 307,000 people globally. It says the 10 most affected countries at this time, based on the reported number of deaths, are the U.S., the U.K., Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, Belgium, Germany, Iran and Canada.

Alberta recorded 40 new cases and no new deaths, bringing its figures to more than 7,100 cases and 146 deaths. This was a sharp uptick from a day earlier, when the province reported just seven new cases. More than 6,600 people are deemed recovered.

Saskatchewan reported one new case, for a total of 650 cases. Eleven people have died so far, and more than 610 are considered recovered.

No new cases

For the second day in a row, all of the Atlantic provinces saw no new cases or deaths on Saturday. Nova Scotia has the most number of cases — 1,058, including 61 deaths. Most of New Brunswick’s 136 cases have recovered as it battles an outbreak in the Campbellton region — one person in the province has died.

Newfoundland and Labrador has two active cases, and is set to allow travel within the province starting June 8 (Monday). Prince Edward Island has seen no new infections since all 27 of its cases have recovered.

The Northwest Territories and the Yukon remain COVID-19 free, with all their cases having recovered weeks ago. Nunavut remains the only region in Canada that hasn’t seen a case yet.

The demonstrations follow days of protests across the U.S. over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis, Minn. A police officer kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

Many are calling for police reform and an end to systemic racism.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam on Friday urged demonstrators to “take care of themselves” and follow public health guidelines such as physical distancing as much as possible and using hand sanitizers.

Read on to see what’s happening around Canada.

Toronto

Thousands demonstrated in two separate protests in Toronto against anti-black racism. The first protest began at Nathan Phillips Square, while the second began at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Twanna Lewis, a Toronto resident at Trinity Bellwoods Park, said she was protesting for the first time on Saturday because she felt the need to take a stand for people who are voiceless. She has an 18-year-old black son, cousins, uncles and a brother.

“It’s 2020 and we need to be doing better,” Lewis told CBC Toronto. “It’s a shame that we have to be having this conversation in this day and age, when we think that we have gone so far.”

WATCH | Hand sanitizer, masks handed out at Toronto protest:

CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp reports from inside a peaceful protest march Saturday where hand sanitizer and masks were being handed out 3:09

At Nathan Phillips Square, demonstrators chanted, held placards and posters, and listened to speakers. Then the protesters marched to the U.S. consulate and onward to Yonge-Dundas Square.

“I can’t breathe,” the crowd chanted at one point at Nathan Phillips Square, in a reference to some of Floyd’s last words before his death on May 25.

People held up signs that read “No Justice No Peace” and “Yes it’s here too Ford.” Ontario Premier Doug Ford had said Canada doesn’t have the “systemic, deep roots” of racism as the U.S.

WATCH | Protesters, police speak at Toronto demonstration:

Action for injustice group behind march through downtown: CBC’s Natalie Nanowski reports from the scene at Nathan Phillips Square 4:01

St. John’s

Thousands of people kneeled on the lawn of Confederation Building in St. John’s during a rally in support of the Black Lives Matter.

The rally, organized by newly established Black Lives Matter NL, featured speeches and performances from members of the area’s black community sharing their own stories of racism.

Crowds were able to physically distance during the rally, spreading themselves across the lawn of Confederation Building. There was a small police presence, but no incidents were reported.

A demonstrator holds up a sign during a Black Lives Matter rally at the Confederation Building in St. John’s on Saturday. (Marie Isabelle Rochon/Radio-Canada)

Zainab Jerrett, who came to Newfoundland in the 1990s and is a professor at Memorial University, was one of the speakers on stage and was overwhelmed by the public support.

“That shows that this problem is effecting everybody, and everyone wants to chip in to bring a solution,” Jerrett said. “I almost got emotional because there’s so many people … young people of all cultures in Newfoundland.”

“This is an awakening. The people are interested in listening to the black community” she added. “[But] we are all the same. The more we come together as a human race, the better.”

“I am almost speechless. I am about to cry,” she says. “I feel like I am a Newfoundlander in spirit and soul.” <br><br>The audience yells back at her “you are!” <a href=”https://t.co/rZXj08NvIT”>pic.twitter.com/rZXj08NvIT</a>

People gather outside city hall for a Black Lives Matter Rally in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Saturday. (Jamie Malbeuf/CBC)

London, Ont.

In London, Ont., hundreds gathered at Victoria Park for an anti-racism rally.

Mayor Ed Holder said he supports the purpose behind the rally but declined to attend in person to comply with physical distancing rules recommended by health authorities in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Rally is so big it fits down Queens Street, around the block in both directions. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/LdnOnt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#LdnOnt</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BLM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BLM</a> <a href=”https://t.co/3a6bzJFVwy”>pic.twitter.com/3a6bzJFVwy</a>

Guelph, Ont.

Volunteers handed out bottles of water and squirts of hand sanitizer to marchers in Guelph, Ont., as thousands of demonstrators descended upon city hall. Organizer took COVID-19 precautions after health officials urged protesters to adhere to public health protocols.

Now, some advocates are calling for police forces to be defunded and taxpayer money to be redirected — a conversation that is also happening in Canada, stemming from the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Black and Indigenous woman who fell from her Toronto apartment balcony after police entered the unit.

Police claim they were responding to a reported assault, but the family has questioned the role of the police in her death. The Special Investigations Unit, Ontario’s police watchdog, is currently investigating.

Defunding the police means redirecting the budget for Canada’s police forces to other services that focus on social supports, mental health and even spaces like transit, said Sandy Hudson, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter Toronto and a law student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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“There’s no reason why we can’t start a service that is another emergency response service where people can call a number and have someone who is trained in de-escalation,” Hudson said.

Now, with more incidents of police brutality in the news, calls for defunding the police both in the U.S. and Canada are louder than ever.

The history of police in Canada

This is hardly the first time defunding the police has been talked about in Canada, experts told Global News.

Examining the way police uphold and participate in anti-Black racism and violence towards Black and Indigenous communities in Canada has been a discussion for decades, said Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, a sociology professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

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“Part of it is discrimination within policing — both implicit and explicit — but then the other parts of it are how the police operate and what we’re asking police to do,” he said.

The origins of policing in the southern United States were based on preserving the slavery system, as Time magazine reports, and police were primarily tasked with being “slave patrols” to prevent Black slaves from escaping. After the Civil War ended, these patrols still existed to uphold segregation and discrimination towards Black people.

Policing has been used to enforce the dominant narrative in Canada, which is colonization, said Alicia Boatswain-Kyte, a social work professor at McGill University whose research examines systemic oppression.

“These institutions are a product of (colonialism); they stem from that,” she said. “Right now we’re seeing what it looks like at this stage … and it gets manifested in the form of police brutality.”

Mental health, homelessness and other social issues

Experts are concerned that police in Canada are tasked with issues related to poverty, mental health and homelessness, and they are “ill-equipped and an inappropriate resource to be addressing those issues,” Owusu-Bempah said.

The force’s mobile crisis intervention teams ⁠— which include a trained officer and a mental health nurse ⁠— attend only 6,000 of those calls each year because they do not go to calls where a weapon may be involved.

Annual training for the force includes courses on communication and deescalation techniques, said Gray.

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“The Toronto Police Service believes that mental health is a complex issue that requires the involvement of multiple entities, including but not limited to community support, public health, and all levels of government, to render any meaningful change,” she said.

By making police the body available to provide help in these situations, Boatswain-Kyte said, it sends a message that people with those health issues aren’t welcome in our society.

“Regardless of the amount of training … the implicit bias as a result of what (police) have been socialized to believe and understand about the ‘dangers’ of Black and brown bodies is going to influence them at the time when they have to make a decision.”

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Boatswain-Kyte points to a study published in May from Columbia University that found there is “no evidence that enhanced police training focused on mental health crises” can reduce fatal shootings towards those having a mental health crisis, or racialized people in general.

By the numbers

In Toronto, the largest portion of a resident’s property tax bill — around $700 out of an average bill of $3,020 — goes to the Toronto Police Service. The lowest portion of property taxes goes to children’s services, Toronto employment and social services and economic development and culture.

The situation is similar elsewhere in the country, as the Vancouver police budget has grown by more than $100 million in the last decade, representing about one-fifth of the city’s $1.6-billion 2020 operating budget.

A 2014 report published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute found that policing budgets in Canada had doubled compared to the GDP since 2004, even though the public calls to police have “remained stable.”

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“Police associations have been happy to stoke public fears about safety, but the correlation between numbers of officers, crime rates and response times has long been shown to be spurious,” the report said, authored by Christian Leuprecht, a political science professor at Queen’s University and Royal Military College.

Police work that is essentially unrelated to policing could be done by other groups, Leuprecht explains.

Moving forward

Owusu-Bempah is calling on city mayors like Toronto Mayor John Tory to review which roles and functions we want the police to provide and which should be provided by other agencies.

“Then we need a lot of (the) funding currently spent on police … given to other organizations” that are better equipped to help with issues like homelessness and mental illness, he said.

Given the recent incidents of anti-Black racism and brutality perpetuated by police, Hudson says defunding the police would also give agency and safety to Black communities.

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